Cleanliness concerns of family home

Good afternoon 

My grandaughter who is only 5yrs old has just been diagnosed with ALL Lukemia and is 93% positive for this via a bone marrow harvest 

She currently lives with her mother and father BUT my main concern is the cleanliness of her house as its.like a petting zoo with 4 rabbits and 2 cats having virtually the run of the maisonette she lives in 

Now this is not the main problem as its not about the pets it's the cleanliness of her home as with chemotherapy treatment her immune system will be virtually none existent and the smell of ammonia is disgusting as she doesn't clean them on a regular basis OH sorry forgot to mention the rabbits aren't in hutches just runs on the dinning room floor with has laminate flooring on the carpet then straw.

But hey apparently are litter trained !!!!!!??????

Her house is not the cleanest by no means and I am worried that once she eventually gets home she could catch an illness am I being overly sensitive about this as I am a very caring Grandad with concerns about.my Grandaughters well being as it is a very tough time for going forward 

Not sure if I need to contact social services as all I want is for someone to say 'yes this is fine for her to go to'

Thanks and sorry to rant if I have but very concerned at moment x

  • Hello SadKelly and thank you for your post,

    I am sorry to hear about your granddaughter this must be a difficult time for all the family.

    I can understand that this must be quite a sensitive topic particularly when the parents are having to deal with a very sick child so it is important to tread carefully.

    There is some information about looking after a child with leukaemia which you may find helpful look at on the Blood Cancer website.

    I am sure that your granddaughter's parents will be told about the risk of infection and how to care for their daughter. If you can gently mention your concerns to her parents then that would be a good idea. Her parents will be told about the risk of infection and when to contact the hospital when she is unwell.

    Having been brought up in her home environment your granddaughter will have some acquired immunity living with all the animals.

    Try not to worry too much. The best thing that you can do is to help support the parents at this difficult time.

    I do hope that all her treatment goes well.

    If you feel it would be helpful to chat this through with one of the helpline nurses then you are welcome to give us a call. The number to call is Freephone 0808 800 4040 and the lines are open from 9am till 5pm Monday to Friday.

    all the best,

    Catherine